


A Sunny Afternoon on Route 6

by BlackMarketTrombones



Series: Flash Fiction [5]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Gen, am i supposed to tag each pokemon as a character?, pls forgive me i've never written for pokemon and don't know the tagging conventions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 05:42:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19660996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMarketTrombones/pseuds/BlackMarketTrombones
Summary: A pair of trainers have an encounter while travelling through Kalos.





	A Sunny Afternoon on Route 6

He’s roused from his afternoon nap by a familiar voice cooing and the unmistakable sound of a camera shutter. He contemplates ignoring it and going back to sleep, but by the way Whiskers’ namesakes are twitching against his cheek, he doubts the fragile peace will last much longer either way.

“Do you have to do that?” he grumbles, reluctantly squinting up against the late sunlight and his best friend’s smile.

“Yep!” Hizashi pops the ‘p’ cheerfully as he snaps another picture with his phone. “You looked so _cute_ , and that little monster actually looks peaceful for once!”

“Whiskers isn’t a monster,” Shouta says automatically, curling his arms around the lazing Purrloin.

“—How could I miss the opportunity? How could I resist? How could— Ow, _oof_!”

Shouta sighs and stretches as Whiskers leaps to the ground and Hizashi topples over backwards away from her. “Don’t be so dramatic. She didn’t even touch you.”

“Can’t be too careful,” Hizashi mumbles, dusting himself off. “She doesn’t _like_ me.”

“She doesn’t like Beyonce,” Shouta corrects, gesturing toward the Loudred cavorting with his Delcatty by the tall grass. Diva’s tail lashes as she bats at Beyonce’s _speak-ears_ , as Hizashi insists on calling them.

They’ve been hitting Route 6 pretty hard all day and are in the middle of a well-deserved break. Shouta likes to give his Pokemon the option to pop out of their Pokeballs and stretch their legs when they can, but not all of them like to take him up on it. In addition to Whiskers and Diva, Stocking is out, eyeing the grass like he expects it to pounce, but Coffee and Cream have elected to stay in, and Cushion wouldn’t even wake up when he called him up to offer.

In contrast, nearly all of Hizashi’s team is out and as rambunctious as ever. Bravissimo, Sforzando, and Hula all flit about overheard, showing off graceful swoops and daring dive bombs while his partner Jigglypuff Pompadour applauds and boos them in turn from the ground. It looks like Hula is fitting in quite nicely with the others despite being the newest to the team—Hizashi had gladly traded a Kricketot for the Oricorio with an Alolan tourist just back in Camphrier Town.

(“How can you be so scared of Bug-types?” Shouta has asked more than once. “You trained a Trapinch all the way into a Flygon.”

“And I’ve never worked a Pokemon as hard as I did my poor Bravissimo until he fully evolved!” Hizashi says every time with a shudder.)

Now, Hizashi checks for any around for any lurking Bug-types before settling on the ground next to Shouta. “Think we’ll be out here much longer?” he asks. “I know you’re really got your heart set on catching this Pokemon, but there’s a lot more of Kalos I’d like to see before I have to get back to the Gym and _you_ have to get back to work.”

Shouta surveys the scene, taking in the playing Pokemon, the rustling grass. “Depends,” he muses, then louder, “You could always join us, you know.”

Everything stills—including the tall grass nearby. Slowly, inch by inch, a lavender Pokemon edges out into the open.

Shouta feels the corners of his lips turn upwards. The little Espurr looks exactly as the Pokedex describes.

“We’re a friendly bunch,” he says evenly. “What do you say? Would you like to travel with us?”

The Espurr tilts its head and Shouta holds his breath. It’s not easy for him to capture low-level Pokemon anymore, and even though he brought Stocking to have the type-disadvantage, his Mienshao is tough. He’d rather it not come to a fight…

But the wild Pokemon doesn’t make any move to attack or flee. It just stares with its big, blank eyes, then rights itself and trots over. Shouta stretches out a hand until it presses itself up against his palm with a tiny squeak. Shouta gathers it up and holds it out in front of himself so they can look at each other.

“Ears,” he says with finality, and Hizashi laughs.

“I don’t care what you think, you’d be a _great_ Trainer!”

“I’m a Coach Trainer,” Shouta says simply. He likes it too, likes his station in Johto where he can watch people pass by and grow stronger. He has a good feeling about the hotheaded kid who started out last season and has already trained his Cyndaquil into a Quilava. His shy rival too, with the shyer Chikorita.

At some point everyone out there dreams of becoming the very best, but these days he’s content with what he has.

He calls out Coffee and Cream to introduce them to their new team member. The Cofagrigus claps in delight, but his more dignified Absol simply nods and lies down next to him.

“Guess that’s that then!” Hizashi says cheerfully. “Think we can make it back to Hotel Camphrier before dark?”

“Hmm.” Shouta squints up reds and purples of the evening sky. “No.”

Ignoring Hizashi’s protests, he calls out Cushion. The massive Snorlax doesn’t even blink at finding himself out in the open, and Shouta makes himself comfortable against one snoring flank.

“Oh, _fine_!” Hizashi says as he releases his Mawile to join the rest of their Pokemon and settles against the other side. “But tomorrow night we’re sleeping in an actual bed!”

Fine by Shouta. If there’s one lesson he’s learned better than any other over the years, it’s that you don’t need a fancy reputation or a renowned title or a full Pokedex to be happy.

Here, surrounded by his family, Shouta has everything he wants.

**Author's Note:**

> Aizawa’s Pokemon:  
> Coffee - Cofagrigus  
> Cream - Absol  
> Cushion - Snorlax  
> Diva - Delcatty  
> Ears - Espurr  
> Stocking - Mienshao  
> Whiskers - Purrloin
> 
> Hizashi’s Pokemon:  
> Beyonce - Loudred  
> Bravissimo - Flygon  
> Christina - Mawile  
> Hula - Oricorio  
> Pompadour - Jigglypuff  
> Sforzando - Chatot


End file.
